


their hearts were on the verge of madness

by aeroas



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Identity Reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-07 00:35:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13422957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aeroas/pseuds/aeroas
Summary: Marinette tries not to think about Chat Noir's identity. Doesn't try to unravel the pieces, to gaze upon a crowd and wonder if it's that boy in the blue sweater or the boy with the black shoes, to dream about Adrien and the what ifs.But when she is enveloped in the darkness in her bedroom, when her home and the bakery is silent, and the rain falls against her window while the thunder blends in the soft city sound of Paris, when the insomnia dances beneath her eyes, she can't help but wonder, if only a little bit.





	their hearts were on the verge of madness

Marinette tries not to think about Chat Noir's identity. Doesn't try to unravel the pieces, to gaze upon a crowd and wonder if it's that boy in the blue sweater or the boy with the black shoes, to dream about Adrien and the  _what ifs_. 

But when she is enveloped in the darkness in her bedroom, when her home and the bakery is silent, and the rain falls against her window while the thunder blends in the soft city sound of Paris, when the insomnia dances beneath her eyes, she can't help but wonder, if only  _a little bit._

Appearance wise, she can't deny that Chat Noir and Adrien are extremely similar. Roughly both the same build, the same height, the same hair color, the same eye color. Chat Noir's hair is messy, curly, wild; while Adrien's hair is carefully styled, falling in short, kept, wavy locks that curl at the end. Marinette would know, always finding her gaze studying the back of Adrien during class, quite... frequently. In the end though, while these similarities are both alarming and intriguing, Marinette finds that the two men couldn't be any more different from one another. 

The obvious is personality. Chat Noir is, quite literally, the definition of a chatty cat. Flirty, but passionate. Witty, intelligent, compassionate.  Boisterous. Charming,  _romantic._ If, in another world where there was no Adrien, Marinette would have possibly fallen in love with Chat Noir. But she is in this world, where there is an Adrien, a boy who is so incredibly sweet and quiet, soft-spoken and wonderfully kind and caring. You can hear it in the way he speaks, his voice always light and smooth, while Chat Noir's is husky and submerged in raw emotion. You can see it in their body language, how Adrien's is conserved but friendly, how Chat Noir's is, well,  _suggestive_ , but shows a strong will to protect when the time is necessary. 

It's the way they both look at her that is different, as well. Adrien keeps a friendly gaze with her, tints of admiration and respect. She knows it's not love, but she still succumbs to the furious blush that reaches her cheeks and ears, the pounding of her heart.  But when Chat Noir looks at her,  _oh god_ , Marinette can't help but feel a little breathless. Unlike Adrien, Chat Noir's gaze is  _intense_ , filled with  _heat._ When Adrien looks at her, she can see the striking green in his eyes. Chat Noir's pupils are always heavily dilated, taking in as much as he can of his surroundings, of her. 

It's their smiles that differentiate the two. How Adrien's smile is small, usually close-lipped but gives the occasional toothy grin. It's a boyish smile that reflects his personality: reserved but sweet. Chat Noir's smile is similar to a cat's smile, always large and sinister. A predatory smile about to catch its prey. A smile on the verge of madness. Marinette couldn't even imagine such a look on Adrien. 

And yet, it was their smile that exposed the truth. 

It was only a matter of time when she would have figured out who it was underneath the mask. Chat Noir had already discovered who she was, during an unfortunate akuma attack. She had become injured, unable to escape on time before her detransformation-- standing tall as Ladybug one second and then collapsing on the ground as Marinette the next. That's all it takes for everything to crumble-- a second. 

Chat Noir had begun to cry, Marinette remembers. She had told him that she was the one who was supposed to be crying, not him. He kissed her, not as Ladybug, but as Marinette. 

When he brought her home later that evening, he told her that she would figure it out. His identity, that is. _All the pieces will fall into place._

And it was in a fleeting moment when it did. When another akuma threatened Paris and Marinette was running on her life, only needing a second to become ladybug. And it was only for a second when she had passed Adrien, his fear gripping his heart. But he had seen her, and despite the world crumbling around them, she'll never forget the look he gave her. 

It was in the rain when she fell in love with Adrien. It was this fleeting moment, this second, this missing piece, his maddening smile, when Marinette ended up falling in love with Chat Noir. 

And it was then when all the pieces lined up. 


End file.
